Safety device for clothes wringers



, Jan. 12, 1932. s GUNDERMAN 1,840,316

SAFETY DEVICE FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Filed Oct. 16, 1929 WI TNSSES INVENTOR Ki. WJ/ mam A61: sayjw Patented Jan. 12, 1932 PATENT OFFICE LESTER s. GUNDERMAN, or rrrrrsnunon, PENNSYLVANIA I DEVICE FOR CLOTHES WRINGEBS Application filed October 16, 1929. Serial No. 399,893.

This invention relates to a safety device for clothes wringers and like and relates particularly to a feeding means therefor whereby articles of clothing can be passed through the wringer without danger to -the operator and without any necessity for the operator bringing his hands into contact with the-rolls. 1

The invention has for its principal object 1 a feeding device having a movable feed plate mounted'in front of and slightly below the front edge of the standard guard when in an inoperative position so that the clothing can readily slide overthe feeder when clothes are being run through the press roll from the opposite side thereof. According to the present invention, it is proposed to provide a feeder which will not interfere with the clothes being run through the wringer from either front or back of the wringer and it never needs to be removed from one side of the wringer to the opposite side thereof when required for use. I

Wringers, from the beginning, have been equipped with a guard in the front and back in relation thereto when standing in front of the press rolls. These guards are to prevent clothes when being run through the press H rolls from becoming entangled with the rolls and being damaged. These guards extend outward and downward to guide the clothes away from press rolls. In my present invention I install a feed bar on the front and back v of the wringer. The feed bar is associated withthe guards so that clothes slide over the guard and feeder when leaving the press rolls, making it unnecessary to remove any feeder whenusing the wringer in either direction as herein above related.

'40 This invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a wringer and my invention applied thereon.

Figure 2 is an end viewof the wringer and the relation of the feeder thereon.

Figure 3 is a part section view on line AA in Fig. 2, and for convenience I have shown a fieeder mounted on one side of the wringer on y. 1

Figure & is an enlarged section taken on line BB in Fig. 1 and shows the feed plate in an inoperative position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken on line BB in Fig. 1 and shows position of feed bar-when in an effective position as when feeding clothing to the press rolls.

In a more particular description of the parts, 7 designates the usual metal wringer frame, 8 and 9 designate the usual wringer rolls, which are driven from one end in a well known manner, 10 designates the general type of guard which is used and is pivotally mounted at 11 to the frame 7. I I

Thus far the elements referred to embody well known parts of a power driven wringer.

My improved construction of feeding device comprises members 12a and 126 which may be a separate part mounted on the frame 7 or may be an integral of the wringer as shown in the drawings. Extending across the distance between the projections 12a is a bell crank 13 which has its bearings 14 in the projections 12a and its ends extending outward forming handles 15. A second ball crank 16 extends across the distance between the projection 12a and has its bearings 17 on the projections 12a below bearings'l l. Also extending across between the members 8 12a is a feed plate 18 having yokes 19 formed on the lower inner edge of said feed plate 18. The bell crank 16 passes through the yokes 19 and is so mounted that-the plate is loosely connected with the said bell crank 13 at 20. To retain the bell cranks in their journal bearings on the projections 12a and 12b is a strip of metal 23 held in position by screws 24 on projections 12a and 12?).

When the operating handles 15 are raised from the position as shown in Figure 5 the feed plate 18 is raised through a corresponding arc and the plate is guided in its movement through this arc by the bell cranks 13 and 16. .By reason of the yoke 19 being reasonably loose on the bell crank 16 the plate 18 has considerable freedom of movement transversely relatively to the bell crank'16. In order to resiliently urge the plate 18 outwardly away from the bell crank 16 flat springs 21 (shown only in Figure 4) are provided, one end of each being secured to plate 18 by rivets and the loose end thereof'bearin'g against the bell crank 16 holding the surface of the plate 18 upwardly away from the bell crank 16, thereby tending'to" urge the upper most or forward end of the plate 18 downward. The forward edge of the plate 18 can yield upwardly when it comes in contactwith the lower roll. If the clothes are being fed through the wringer, the edge of the plat'e18 may be raised an amount equal to the thick,

ness of the clothes so that the clothes will be resiliently held against the upper surface of the lower roll and drawn by the movement of this roll in between the two rolls.

The feed bar 18 is so mounted that the upper longitudinal edge is free to bring clothing in contact with the press rolls. The opposite edge 22, being curved in a circular man ner, prevents clothing from catching thereon nd being torn or injured when being drawn through the press rolls. The curved edge 22- through the press rollstheywillcontinue to slide down this plane with the least resistance possible. 7

In use the device is applied on each side of the wringer and the feed plates arein the retractive position as shown in Figure 2.

A portion of clothing. is let fall on the guard 10, the handles 15 are raised and the forward edge of the feed plate 18 carries the portion of clothing against the upper surface of the lower roll. As soon as the clothing is gripped by the press rolls the handles may be released and the feed bar is brought back to an in effective position in which position it does notinterfere with the operation of the press rolls after the clothes have passed through the press rolls from either side thereof.

With such a feeder as described and having an extended way for the clothes to slide over there is no occasion forthe operator to bring his fingers in contact withthe press rolls,

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 7 Patent is:

1. An attachment for a clothes wringer having a stationary feedplatethereon, in-

cluding a movable feed platenormal ly posi tioned to afford a continuation of the stationary feed plate and the inner edge thereof being movable from such position to a raised feeding position.

2. An attachment for a clothes wringer having a stationary feed plate extending across between a wringer frame, including a feed plate extending transversely across the wringer and being normallyposi-tioned to afford a continuation of said feed plate and being movable from such a 4 position to a raised feeding position.

3. A: feeding device for wringers-including a stationary; feed plate thereon, comprising a pair of hell cranks journaled on the wringer frame one above the other, a second feed plate extending transversely across the wringer and having the lower curved edge thereof loosely hinged to the center of the lower bell crank, the upward ends of said feed plate being loosely hinged to the upper bell crank and the upper edge being arranged in front of the stationary feed plate and at an outward and downward inclination there:

to said bell cranks providing means to move thesaid second feed plate into and out of op-" GI'ZLUVBPOSltlOII.

4. A feeding device for clothes wringer including av stationary feed plate thereon, comprising supporting brackets mounted thereon, a pair of bell'cranks loosely supported on the said brackets, an singularly arrangedfeed plate loosely mounted on the bell cranks infront of the said stationary feed plate and being movable from such a posi-' tionto a raised feeding position. a 5; A feeding device for wringers including a stationary guard thereon, comprising supporting members mounted on the wringer frame, a pair of bellcranks journaled on the supporting members, an angularly arranged feed plate having its lower curved edge resiliently held on; the lower-bell crank, the ends of said feedplate being loosely hinged on the upper bell crank, said feed-plate being normally positioned to afford a continnation of the said stationaryfeed plate and being movable from such a position to a raised feeding position. Y V

6. A feeding device for clothes wringers including guards thereon, a pair of bell cranks loosely mounted on the wringer frame, an angularly arranged feed plate having the lower curved edge thereof resiliently held on the center of the lower bell crank the upper ends of the feed plate being loosely hinged to the upper bell crank, and being normally positioned to afford a continuation of the guards and being movable from such a position to a raised feeding position.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my 1 signature.

LESTER S. GUNDERMAN. 

